A YOUNG man struggling to come to terms with an incurable disease was viciously beaten by "laughing" teenage thugs in an unprovoked attack.

Neil Massey of Stockton Heath had gone for a late night walk with his fiancee on Friday to "clear his head" following an anxiety attack, when the pair were set on by six youths.

He was punched to the floor and kicked repeatedly by the yobs, who stamped on his head and ran off laughing.

Neil has suffered bouts of depression since being told in late December that he is suffering from retinitis pigmentosa - a rare eye condition with no known cure which will leave him totally blind within 15 years.

The 24-year-old telemarketing clerk already suffers from night blindness and has been told he cannot drive any more.

Neil was only told the diagnosis on December 30, and says he still hasn't come to terms with it.

"On Friday I had been down all day about it and I went for a drink with my fiancee and my dad - in the end we had a good night," said Neil.

"But by the time I got back home I was in tears again. My mum suggested that Nicole and I went for a walk to clear our heads."

As the couple stood on a small wooden bridge close to their home, they were approached by a gang of three youths. The gang started insulting the couple, but then moved on.

As the pair walked home, they came across the gang again. This time one of the group hit Neil in the face, knocking his glasses off and effectively blinding him.

Then the others started hitting and kicking him, holding Nicole back so she couldn't help.

Three more lads then turned up - but didn't do a thing to help Neil. As two just stood and watched, the other four carried on the assault as Neil lay almost unconscious on the floor.

Nicole herself was also punched repeatedly in the head, and the gang ran off when she started screaming. The battered couple then staggered the short distance home.

Neil spent nearly 24 hours being treated in hospital for his injuries, which included a possible fractured eye socket, cuts and bruises.

Neil said: "We have walked that same route 101 times before, and never thought that anything might happen to us. But I am determined not to let this bother me. I'm not going to spend my life looking over my shoulder."

Neil will spend the next 15 years learning the skills he will need when he loses his sight - like using a guide dog and reading braille. At the moment he relies a lot on Nicole. They are planning their marriage for later this year in Scotland and are living with Neil's parents at the moment.

A police spokesman confirmed that six young men had been arrested following an incident in Stockton Heath in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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